


The Suicide Pact

by Maxwell_V



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 06:21:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4614531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maxwell_V/pseuds/Maxwell_V
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Expectations are not lived up to. They're created. Each and every day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Suicide Pact

Rose felt a new sensation, one that she began to regret having never felt before. She was unable to bring herself to her feet. Every time she'd ever been knocked down, she got back up. It may have seemed time and time again as though this was a virtue, but it wasn't. Not now. Rose had never been pushed to her limit.

Time and time again she would get back up. Time and time again, she'd bring herself from the brink of destruction. What if she had kept pushing? Maybe she'd be more prepared for this.

Rose knew immediately how incapable she was of rising. She had risen so many times before.

“Well come on, then.”

Rose desperately planted her palms onto the dirt and grime and hot ash below her. Her shoulders rose above her neck, quivering and nearly breaking. There were no voices behind her, only voices in front of her. The voice barked at her, rasping and growling.

“You're not done already? This is pathetic.”

A facade, Rose noted. Jasper was tending to wound after wound, barely gritting her way past the bone-deep injuries she received. Come on, Rose, she spoke quietly under her breath. You're stronger than this.

Then a stamping came toward her. The ground shook and her brain awoke at the sound. Urgency and disbelief flowed through her mind like a bolt of electricity. There's no way. Jasper should barely be on her feet. She can't be advancing. Not like this.

Jasper had made her way to Rose's position. Deep in Rose's locks, she could feel a fist grabbing her by her roots and lifting. Sound and life came back to the picture of war that surrounded her. Rose was being lifted off the ground, her eyes barely gained focus on Jasper's grinning, cackling face. Hideous, coughing laughter choked their way out of Jasper's lips.

“I'm not going to lie. You had me scared.”

Jasper's grip tightened, rearing Rose's head and neck backwards.

“Briefly.”

Rose watched in growing horror as a large, foreboding helmet materialized on Jasper's brow.

“But I maintained my composure. Glad I did. Because my reward is being able to watch you die, Rose Quartz.”

Rose's mind raced. Her hands darted at her sides, subconsciously reaching for her sword, but it was nowhere near her. Jasper's head reared back, just like Rose's had. Rose's eyes jumped from side to side, searching for where she dropped her sword and why it wasn't materializing in her hand. Jasper's momentum switched and Rose could watch it gaining speed toward her own skull. Then it came to Rose.

The gem on Rose's belly button began to glow. The from its shining opulence, the blade of her sword erupted from Rose's body, plunging itself into Jasper's abdomen. Jasper cried out in pain, her legs giving way and causing the two of them to crash ungracefully onto the dirt and ash below them.

“Auugh! Rose, you wretched traitor!”

Words finally came to Rose as she lifted herself back up. Her legs were shaking, her entire body quivering and unsteady from pain. Regardless, words finally found their way to Rose's mouth.

“Diamond!” She found herself screaming louder than she meant to. “Di-... aahg, Diamond! T-tell Diamond...” The pain was searing and intense. “Tell Diamond to leave this planet or face me on her own. Earth is under the protection of Rose Quartz and her gems.”

Her words, however, may have fallen on deaf ears. Jasper was clutching at her wound. Her grunts were deafeningly loud.

“Curse you, Rose Quartz! You're no gem! You're scum! Traitorous, disloyal, riotous scum! I will see you dead, Rose!”

Rose didn't reply. The words she had already thrust at Jasper had taken more out of her. The only thing left functioning and aware in the moment were her eyes, looking out on all of the destruction that surrounded her. On the outskirts of Beach City, gems were beginning to retreat back to their ship. Yellow Diamond must have given the order.

“It won't be long, you slime!”

Rose's attention turned back toward Jasper, struggling to make it to her feet. Her gem was cracking right before Rose's eyes. Seeing the gem chip itself away instilled a great fear in Rose's heart.

“It won't be long! You know the difference between us?”

Jasper began to cackle again, interrupted by her incessant, sickly cough.

“You're willing to die for your cause. I'm willing to kill for mine.”

Jasper was once again on her feet, beginning to turn away from Rose.

“You've got dead gem in your eyes, Rose Quartz. You're one more invasion away from sacrificing yourself for everyone you love. And I hope I'm there when it happens.”

Jasper began to stagger away. Gems all around the battlefield zoomed across the plains, but Jasper moved slowly and doggedly toward the mothership. As Jasper began to limp behind a hill, Rose felt a small touch and a big hug at her side. Pearl had come to her, clutching onto her dress, crying into her shoulder.

“Rose! Rose, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Pearl...” Rose spoke on her faded, exhausted breaths. “I'm alright. I'm alive, and so are you. Where are the others?”

“Garnet's taking-” Pearl began to trip over her own irregular breathing. It wasn't graceful, but it was sincere and relieved. “Garnet's taking care of the stragglers. Amethyst is checking the perimeters to make sure the retreat wasn't a ploy.”

“That's good.” Rose said, falling to one knee in exhaustion. “Did you organize that? It was very smart.”

“N-no. No. That's... Garnet did it. I told her I wasn't leaving you alone.”

“Well I'm glad you're here. Did they make it past the barricade?”

“No, we held them back. We did it.” Those last words were burdened and breathy. It was something of a surprise to Pearl that they managed to not only squeeze out a victory, but an overwhelming success.

“Then Greg and the humans are safe?” Rose spoke, softly.

“Yes. We...”

A moment of silence, a sad second of reflection.  
“We lost gems in the process.”

“Gems who knew exactly what they were fighting for, Pearl.”

“Yeah.”


End file.
